The book proved to be invaluable. It was compact enough that I could carry it around with me in a small purse/backpack that I carried with me throughout my entire trip. I did not speak any Italian whatsoever, and found the words and phrases in the book to be exactly what I needed to get around and communicate effectively. I especially appreciated the pronunciation guide to each Italian word in the book- that was extremely helpful. The practical advice given throughout the book proved to be invaluable, as well as humorous, and the menu decoder was also of particular help. I quickly got over any "qualms" I may have had over appearing too "touristy" on my trip and used the phrase book repeatedly as it proved to be a most definate asset. Thank you Rick Steves' for so accurately predicting the needs of the average beginning traveler. The book greatly enhanced a most wonderful traveling experience. In fact, I am still studying it in anticipation of my next trip to Italy.


Prego...   February 22, 2001
 99 out of 101 found this review helpful

Now if you read this book, you'd know what that means (Can I help you. Do you speak Italian? Here it is). It's not a high school langauge class, but it's a lot more fun, and with some time you'll get pretty good.

I think Rick does a great job is laying out the phrases that you'll need if you go to Italy. We're going in a few weeks, and it's really helping. Now if he could only improve the memory.

The book is small, will fit in a shirt pocket. It's broken down into sections (basics, eating, chating, etc.) so you can focus in on a section that you need, master it, then move to another section. After you've been through it all, you can then start combining different phrases and make some great sentences. It's got a lot of mnaterial in it, so start early when you decide to use it.

Thanks Rick, I actually feel that I can go into the Italian world and be somewhat understood. And, not to worry, I'll smile as I butcher the language, use my hands a lot, and laugh at the whole thing.


Great take-along phrase book!   May 31, 2000
 36 out of 41 found this review helpful

Contains the words and phrases you will actually use on a trip. Organized for easy, quick reference. Highly recommend Rick Steve's guidebooks as well. Have used them with great success in the past!


Is there one better?   August 30, 2005
 36 out of 37 found this review helpful

Admittedly, maneuvering your way through the sections may be a little tricky at first, but we found that most relevant phrases and lingo was repeated in several different sections to reinforce the learning process. We had looked at and even purchased a couple of other phrase books and dictionaries but found this to be the best one overall. Great pronunciation guides, common everyday conversational items and even the humor is a good break in the studies. I already speak decent Italian, my wife did not, and she found Rick's guide to be much better in format and usability and was the one we chose to take to Italy with us.


Great for General Use   March 14, 2005
 33 out of 35 found this review helpful

This book has all the basics including a few that you may need to use but hope you never have to. It is well organized. Better than the Berlitz books I thought. Some things seems goofy- why do I need a translation for I have a social disease? Then I found out - it is perfect for the gross old man trying to grope you on the train in Milan - that's why. Not to make Italy sound bad. They just have their fair share of perverts riding on local trains hitting on young women just like my home city does. Anyway, where I found this book lacking was food. As you travel around Italy, the dialects change fairly dramatically. So, sometimes it can be tricky figuring out what it is that you just ordered until you have it in front of you. In Germany I bought a language guide that was just for food (not by Rick Steves) and that helped. I wish he would write an Italian food translation book. The good thing is that a lot of people in Italy speak some English. If they don't they often understood my mix of Spanish and French vocabulary. I recommend Rick Steve's phrase book because he encourages you to speak to the people in the place that you are visiting - perhaps even thumb wrestle.